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Operating Systems for IT 105 Wiki
Welcome to the Overview A fundamental component of modern computers, the operating system (also abbreviated as OS) is a software that allows the user to use the computer in a more simplified fashion. The OS is in charge of certain things, such as managing peripherals and running programs. While operating systems seem to be on virtually all modern computing devices, they were non-existent on the earliest of computers. The earliest computers lacked an operating system as they were wired internally to carry out specific calculations. That meant users would have to wire actual connections between a computer board and rewire every time a new computation set was needed. But as hardware technology progressed, software progressed as well. A big innovation in operating system technology was the creation of UNIX because it focused on convenience. And as time went on, more operating systems emerged, such as the Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS), Linux and Apple DOS. Another big breakthrough occurred from the advent of graphical user interfaces (GUI), as it made the operating system significantly more user friendly, switching from an intimidating black terminal with white text into easy to navigate menus. 'Modern Operating Systems ' Operating systems have changed significantly since their inception. The major modern desktop and laptop operating systems have split into three divisions: Windows, Linux and Mac OS. The windows operating system has almost complete dominance in the desktop/laptop operating system market share, with approximately 80% of desktops/laptops worldwide having it installed. It focuses on ease of use while still providing the ability for power users to use the system the way they see fit. Some cons of the windows operating system is the prevalence of viruses possibly due to popularity, lack of a centralized software repository and concerns of user privacy. An operating system that doesn’t suffer from those specific issues would be the smallest of the trio, Linux. This operating system is released in what are known as “distributions”, where groups/organizations can release their own kind of linux desktop to fit different use cases. Sometimes the differences in distributions could be merely cosmetic. Mainstream Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu or Debian, focuses more on open source software and the freedom of being able to modify the operating system anyway you want to fit your needs. Some cons of the Linux operating system would be the difficulty, incompatibility with certain applications and the lack of support from hardware vendors to create proper drivers to utilize the hardware. And last but not least, the Mac OS. Known for having excellent multimedia software, this operating system focuses heavily on ease of use, appearance and user friendliness. The downsides of the Mac OS would be lack of customizability, need to purchase hardware to use software, and lack of computer games. 'Closing ' While desktop and laptop operating systems are what most people would refer to as the most common example for OS’s, an operating system can be inside game consoles, phones, and even cars. And as technology integrates more heavily into our lives, the crucial component that is the backbone behind every device is and seems to continue to be the operating system. Important articles File:Placeholder | A page about your topic |link=A page about your topic File:Placeholder | A Main Character |link=A Main Character File:Placeholder | The First Episode |link=The First Episode File:Placeholder | An Important Location |link=An Important Location File:Placeholder | A Key Event |link=A Key Event File:Placeholder | A Crucial Item |link=A Crucial Item Need help building out this community? * * * * * You can also be part of the larger Fandom family of communities. Visit Fandom's Community Central! Category:Browse